This is a short video of what I do to protect my tomatoes when the heat hits:
Find shade cloth at a good nursery near you or online at Peaceful Valley (Grow Organic) or Johnny’s.
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Hi Greg,
Random question here. Do you have any insight on using eucalyptus mulch around garden beds? I acquired a good amount of mulch from a neighbor who had a couple of trees removed. The smell led me to look into the species of tree it was from. The bulk of what I have seems to be chipped bark and leaves from a lemon-scented gum AKA lemon eucalyptus. I’m seeing conflicting information online about the potential of eucalyptus oils inhibiting the growth of other plants.
I’m about to set up a new 17” raised bed and would love to layer the bottom 5” or so with organic material to save on soil costs. I’m now leery about using the eucalyptus mulch as part of that base layer. Any advice? As always, thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Hi Adrien,
I’ve used lots of eucalyptus mulch over the years around fruit trees and vegetables, and I’ve never noticed a problem. I’ve also read studies that found no problems.
See this post that includes some details on the topic and links: https://gregalder.com/yardposts/using-wood-chips-as-mulch-for-vegetables/
Also see this post because it has a link to a study specifically on eucalyptus mulch in California: https://gregalder.com/yardposts/using-wood-chips-as-mulch-for-fruit-trees/
Thanks! I should’ve known you’d have at least one previous post that addressed the topic! I’ve already spread the mulch on my walkways around container plants and am loving the spa-like smell in that area. I’ll go ahead and use it in my new bed and not worry about it. One less thing!